Darin is insisting that I write a blog
but knowing I can't write as well as Darin, I don't want to embarrass
myself, but here goes.
India so far-----
It has been very interesting being a white woman here in India that is for sure. My experience has been very eye opening and unnerving. Back in the states the color of my skin doesn't get me very many looks but here I get intense, bewildered, curious, blank, and/or amazed stares that if possible, would drill a hole right through me. Darin has had to literally step in and block some of them because it was to much. It's only a problem when we are sitting somewhere, so I'm a stationary target. While on the move I don't notice it that much. I have also gotten some laughs and lots of smiles, mostly from the kids. When they see me coming I here yelling and what I think they're saying is “come here quick, look at this” in Hindi to their friends. I'll receive smiles and stares but when I wave or say “hello” I get even bigger smiles and giggles. A young boy ran into me at the train station the other day and when he turned around to see who he ran into he started laughing. He kept turning around, as he walked away, to look at me and of course grinning ear to ear and saying something I couldn't understand. He thought that was so funny.
We have lots of security guards running
around our apartment complex and several more out at the gated
entrance. They are all men and when we first moved in here they
wouldn't talk to me or look at me. I started making a point to make
sure that my “hello” or “good evening” was heard and now they
say “good evening madam” or “hello madam”. If they find out
what he is doing here in India it becomes “yes captain” or “good
evening captain sir”. I guess they just needed to learn that Darin
isn't going to beat them up for talking to me. There is a restaurant
here at the apartments and I have had to train with waiters as well.
When we first moved in they would completely ignore me when I would
tell them what I wanted. I had to tell Darin what I wanted and he in
turn told the waiter. Now that they know us the wait staff will take
the order from me.
Speaking of food, the food here is
really good. Your choices would be veg or non-veg. Non-veg of
course would be chicken or fish. You also have the choice of spicy
or spicy! The french fries have chilli powder on them, KFC chicken
is spicy, even the Cheetos have some spice to them. When I get home
I'm going to Jake's for ribs, KFC for mashed potatoes, and
Chihuahua's for tacos. About the only food that tastes about the
same as the states is the Oreo McFlurry. One word describes that
flurry, wonderful! Oh and they import their apples from Washington,
which I find hilarious.
I have been riding my bike a little
more frequently. There is a route Darin showed me that works really
well for staying away from the roads and all the crazy drivers. This
route consists of paved road then dirt trail, then a little more
paved road to the village. Riding through the village is a great eye
opener. I see people bathing in the median of the street, using a
bucket of water they heated over a fire, which was still flaming on
the shoulder. I see pigs foraging for food in the garbage, cows
trying to find any piece of greenness they can to munch on and goats
climbing on the giant rocks placed by God's hand many, many years
ago. After the village I take a left and I'm on the dike. There are
women walking this dirt road carrying bundles of sticks, sacks of
food, and other items on their heads. There are old men riding
their, older than they are, single speed bikes too. I can't help but
wonder where these people are going. This dusty path wanders
its way through field after field. People are tending to their crops
or animals or on their way to somewhere with their goods. It is mostly old school farming over here, where they use
cows to pull the plow, but there are some tractors too. Even though
there is a haze on the horizon, it is still a nice ride. There is
very little garbage out here and only the occasional smell of burning
plastic. Anyway, I eventually end up at the freeway which is where I
turn around and enjoy the ride back.
This is all I have for now. I don't do
to much because it gets to hot outside to do anything. I stay in the
air conditioned apartment playing on my computer, reading, napping,
watching tv, or doing domestic chores. I am looking forward to the
days that are cooler, which should be in a month or so. When things
cool off a bit then Darin and I can do more exploring without
suffering heat stroke. More adventures to come.
